Water spinach goes by many names. Including Chinese water spinach, Chinese morning glory, and bindweed. In Singapore it’s called “water convolvulus”, a bit of a tongue twister. In Lao and Thai it’s called “Pak Bong”. The scientific name is Ipomoea aquatica.
Water spinach grows well emerged in water and also likes to live on land in wet to moist beds. They grow as a trailing plant. This photo shows kids hanging from water spinach.
Photo from Chinese Vegetable Seeds, UK.
Water spinach has always been one of my favorite Asian vegetables. Water spinach is rich in iron and provides a good source of vitamin A and dietary fiber.
They are easy to eat as they are not bitter. The hallow stems are crunchy making it perfect for sautéed in a light cooking oil. But it’s also good eaten raw as a side dish with other main dishes.
Ponds of water spinach during the summer is something neat to see as they start to have white morning glory like flowers.
Water spinach are now available at most Asian market. The leaves are dark green and shaped like arrow heads. They are sold in huge bunches either by the weight or individually.
I’ve heard that the local water spinach farmers use too much pesticides. And this makes me think twice about buying them unless I know where it comes from. So it’s probably best to try to grow your own water spinach.
